Your waistline is not just a reflection of your appearance, it’s also a mirror of your health. A large waistline often means you’re storing a lot of visceral fat (the fat that surrounds your liver, kidneys, and intestines). This is the main culprit that increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and many other chronic diseases.
Meanwhile, losing belly fat doesn’t mean you have to force yourself into a strict exercise regimen or extreme diet. Small, simple, but persistent changes in your diet and lifestyle can bring about remarkable results.
Strategies to help lose weight and belly fat effectively
Here are 8 simple ways that have been scientifically proven:
1. Eat more plant-based foods
Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and nuts are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols (a group of antioxidants that reduce inflammation). Chronic inflammation is one of the factors that promotes belly fat accumulation.
A 2022 study found that the green Mediterranean diet helped participants lose weight and significantly reduce their waist size.
Try the “half a plate of vegetables” rule for each meal. Instead of completely eliminating meat, you can gradually reduce your meat intake and increase your intake of vegetables, fresh fruit, or salad.
2. Choose healthy fats
Fat is not the enemy, the important thing is the type of fat you choose. Saturated fats (often found in fatty meats, animal butter, fried foods) can promote fat accumulation. In contrast, monounsaturated fats and omega-3s from fatty fish, olive oil, and walnuts have anti-inflammatory effects, support the cardiovascular system, and reduce belly fat.
However, even good fats, eating too much can lead to excess calories. Ideally, fat should account for about 25–28% of total daily calories.
You can use olive oil instead of frying oil, add a few slices of avocado or flaxseed to salads, eat salmon twice a week instead of red meat.
3. Avoid refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates such as cakes, candy, soda, white rice or white bread are almost completely devoid of fiber and nutrients. They quickly increase blood sugar, causing early hunger and making the body more likely to store belly fat.
Meanwhile, whole grains (brown rice, oats, barley) are rich in fiber, helping to control blood sugar, creating a feeling of fullness for a long time and reducing inflammation.
If you usually eat white rice, start by replacing 1/3 of your portion with brown rice or sweet potatoes. This is both easy to do and maintain a long-term habit.
4. Limit alcohol
Alcohol contains many empty calories and easily causes the body to store fat in the abdomen. A 2023 study showed that high alcohol consumption is directly related to a higher percentage of belly fat.
There is no need to abstain completely, but according to recommendations from health organizations, you should limit yourself to a maximum of 1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men.
If you regularly drink alcohol during meetings, alternate each glass of alcohol with a glass of water or sugar-free soda. Both limit calories and reduce the burden on the liver.
5. Add strength training
In addition to cardio (running, brisk walking), you should do strength training exercises such as lifting weights, push-ups, planks, or using resistance bands to increase muscle mass. More muscle means the body burns more calories even at rest.
Research shows that regular strength training can reduce overall fat, body fat percentage, and especially visceral fat around the abdomen.
You don’t need to go to the gym. Just 20 minutes at home, doing basic movements such as squats, push-ups, planks 3-4 times/week is enough to see changes.
6. Switch between exercise intensities
High-intensity interval training – HIIT has the ability to reduce belly fat faster than regular cardio. For example: 30 seconds of sprinting, 1 minute of slow walking, repeat.
Incorporate low-intensity exercise (long walks, yoga, light cycling) to help the body use excess fat as energy after consuming carbohydrates.
If you don’t have time, just 15 minutes of HIIT a day (jumping rope, jogging, burpees) is enough to significantly improve your waistline.
7. Get enough sleep
Sleep not only helps restore energy but also controls hormones related to hunger. Lack of sleep increases cortisol (stress hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone), while reducing leptin (fullness hormone). The result: you eat more and accumulate belly fat faster.
Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep per night. A regular schedule and a quiet, airy sleeping space will help you maintain quality sleep.
To sleep well, you need to limit blue light from your phone or laptop 1 hour before bed. Instead, read a paper book or listen to soft music to help you fall asleep easily.
8. Stress Management
Prolonged stress increases cortisol levels (a direct factor in belly fat accumulation). Many people also tend to reach for sugary, fatty foods when stressed, making the situation worse.
You can control stress with small habits such as:
- Spending time connecting with family and friends.
- Doing yoga, walking, or simply taking a few deep breaths every day.
- Listening to relaxing music or practicing meditation.
Small tip: Just 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation before bed can reduce stress, improve sleep, and help your waistline benefit in the long run.
In short, losing weight or belly fat is not a short-term journey, nor does it require extreme measures. As long as you persevere with the simple habits above, you will see a slimmer waistline and a marked improvement in your health.
